The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has issued updated maps that will help farmers across the state comply with the Groundwater Protection Rule. The rule restricts fall application of nitrogen fertilizer in areas vulnerable to contamination and it outlines steps to reduce the severity of contamination in areas where nitrate is already elevated in public water supply wells. An updated map of public water supply wells with elevated nitrate levels can be found here on the MDA’s webpage.
The MDA has also made changes to the Fall Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Restrictions map which is also viewable on the MDA website. The restriction of fall application on these acres will begin September 1, 2022. Farmers are encouraged to check the new maps prior to the fall of 2022 to determine if their fields are subject to these restrictions.
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Media Contact
Margaret Hart, MDA Communications
651-592-6908
Margaret.Hart@state.mn.us
Informational Meeting on Pipeline Foods Bankruptcy Filing
Pipeline Stakeholder Meeting Recording
The MDA is hosting an informational meeting for producers impacted by Pipeline Foods, LLC’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
The Fridley-based company announced on July 9 it had filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
The MDA meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, July 21 from 1-3 p.m. When it's time, join the meeting here. Meeting number (access code): 1465 48 4431. Meeting password: AKqpQ7Ed32
During the meeting, staff will share available information on the situation, review the state’s bond claim process for grain sellers, and take producer questions.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is hosting an informational meeting for producers impacted by Pipeline Foods, LLC’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
The Fridley-based company announced on July 9 it had filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
The MDA meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, July 21 from 1-3 p.m. Those interested in attending can log on by visiting the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/pipelinemeeting.
During the meeting, staff will share available information on the situation, review the state’s bond claim process for grain sellers, and take producer questions.
Those with questions prior to the meeting can contact the MDA’s Grain Licensing Program at 651-201-6011 or grain@state.mn.us.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) in Freeborn County for the first time. There are now 28 counties in the state with EAB.
A contractor for a local electric cooperative was doing tree maintenance along utility lines near the city of Alden when they noticed ash trees with signs of EAB. The contractor contacted the MDA through the department’s Arrest the Pest line, and MDA staff were able to find live EAB larvae and collect samples for federal identification.
Emerald ash borer larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. Often, the trees show several signs of infestation because of this. Woodpeckers like to feed on EAB larvae and woodpecker holes may indicate the presence of emerald ash borer. Also, the EAB tunneling can cause the bark to split open, revealing characteristic S-shaped galleries underneath.
Because this is the first time EAB has been identified in Freeborn County, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is enacting an emergency quarantine to limit the movement of firewood and ash material out of the county. The MDA issues quarantines for all counties known to have EAB to reduce the risk of further spreading the tree-killing insect.
Two virtual open houses for residents and tree care professionals in the county will be held on Wednesday, August 11. Experts from the MDA will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session.
Emerald Ash Borer Virtual Informational Meetings
Wednesday, August 11
10-11 a.m. or 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Register at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab
The public will also have an opportunity to provide input on the proposal to add Freeborn County to the state formal quarantine. The MDA is taking comments on the proposed formal quarantine now through September 3 and recommends adopting the quarantine on September 8. The quarantine limits the movement of ash trees and limbs and hardwood firewood out of the county. The proposed quarantine language can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab.
Comments can be made during the virtual meeting or by contacting:
Kimberly Thielen Cremers
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
625 Robert Street North
St. Paul, MN 55155
Kimberly.TCremers@state.mn.us
Fax: 651-201-6108
EAB was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009.
There is more EAB information on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) may require a contaminated site to be investigated and cleaned up through th
A tax credit for the sale or lease of land, equipment, machinery, and livestock in Minnesota by beginning farmers is still available through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Rural Finance Authority.
To qualify, the applicant must be a Minnesota resident with the desire to start farming or who began farming in Minnesota within the past ten years, provide positive projected earnings statements, have a net worth less than $862,000, and enroll in, or have completed an approved financial management program.
The farmer cannot be related by blood or marriage (e.g., a parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling) to the person from whom he or she is buying or renting assets. The farmer must provide most of the labor and management of the farm.
The tax credit for the sale or lease of assets can then be applied to the Minnesota income taxes of the owner of the agricultural land or other assets.
Three levels of credits are available:
- 5% of the lesser of the sale price or fair market value of the agricultural asset up to a maximum of $32,000
- 10% of the gross rental income of each of the first, second and third years of a rental agreement, up to a maximum of $7,000 per year
- 15% of the cash equivalent of the gross rental income in each of the first, second or third year of a share rent agreement, up to a maximum of $10,000 per year
The Beginning Farmer Tax Credit is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications must be received by October 1, 2021.
Interested farmers should note that they can also apply for a separate tax credit to offset the cost of a financial management program up to a maximum of $1,500 per year – for up to three years.
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Media Contact
Larry Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6629
Larry.Schumacher@state.mn.us